Heart Plus Five
by RugBern
Summary: This is a Kurtofsky Valentine's Day story which takes place in the universe of my earlier story "Strange Currencies", after the actions of the previous story. The general rating will not exceed PG-13 with some adult language and situations but no explicit adult material: basically a debatably pointless work of fluff.


**Author's note:** This story takes place in the same universe that my earlier story _Strange Currencies_ does. It's not necessary to have read _Strange Currencies_ to follow this story. Kurt and Dave have both graduated college, were married the previous June, and are living in Pittsburgh. Dave works for a software company; Kurt is an exclusive clothing and accessory designer and part-time dance instructor and piano teacher.

This story may have adult themes and language, but it will be free of smut, basically a work of pure fluff. The idea for this story is over a year old; I was too busy to write it a year ago, so I'm writing it now. Admittedly, more of a fragment of a story than a full story, perhaps rather pointless. If I get a positive response, I will complete it. I am planning for it to run a total of three chapters.

My other current story _Unwritten_ is still in progress and will be completed.

Thank you for you readership, and your reviews and feedback are always appreciated.

Approximate words this chapter: 9,200.

* * *

**Monday February 6, 2017, 7:42 AM**

"Good morning, David," Paul voiced, bright but somewhat hushed, conscious of others still asleep elsewhere in the house.

"Hey, Dad," David lifted his attention upward from the dining-room table, having just placed a tray of muffins and bagels there. "You're up early."

David's tone of voice was similarly hushed as Paul approached the table, quick, almost a jog across David's and Kurt's expansive great-room.

"Nah," Paul dismissed. "I get up early every day to go for my morning walk when I'm back home. Even when I'm away, force-of-habit gets me up early. About five years ago, someone got me into the habit of taking an early-morning walk on the weekends, and now I do it almost every day, weather permitting."

David grinned, returning his attention to the table, placing a stack of paper napkins next to a stack of dinner plates. "But you're not at home. And you were up kinda late last night with the rest of us."

"Yeah, but getting out of bed early has become such a part of my routine that my body is trained to do that. Hell, I slept until seven-thirty, and that's _late_ for me."

David nodded, a quiet snicker. "So, you enjoy getting out for a brisk walk every morning when you're home in Lima?"

"I do! My last couple of physical checkups have been really good. And it's probably the increased activity, but, as far as I'm concerned, if a twenty-minute walk every morning is keeping me off of cholesterol-lowering meds, it's a good thing."

"_Darn right,"_ David's face feigned seriousness. "I want you and mom around for a long time. And Burt and Carole, for that matter. Do they ever go out and walk with you like they did back then?"

"Your mom walks with me about half the time, and yeah, we still meet the Hummels every weekend morning at the park and go for breakfast after."

"Speaking of, where's mom?" David asked as he covered a space in the center of the table with a large trivet made of colorful ceramic tiles.

"She should be down any time now. You know how the ladies always feel they need to be presentable."

David and Paul both quietly laughed at Paul's statement.

"Did you two sleep well last night?" David asked, raising his line of vision from the table.

"_C'mon_, David," Paul smirked, sarcastic. "Me and your mother and Burt and Carole spend a weekend out here just about every month..."

"Weather permitting," David interjected.

"Okay, weather permitting. But this is almost like a vacation home to us. Sometimes I think we sleep _better_ here than we do back at home in Ohio."

David grinned and nodded, addressing his father directly with a nearly smug expression.

"Did you enjoy the party?"

"That was the _best_ Super Bowl party I've ever attended," Paul answered, diction emphatic while still keeping the volume of his voice in check. "Seriously, short of having a favorite team in the game and being there in person, it was _great_. Of course, I'm a little biased. You and I had a tradition of watching the Super Bowl together every year, but that ended when you went away to college."

"Well, then, maybe this is the new yearly tradition," David began, smiling genuine at his father's comment. "Super Bowl weekend at Dave's and Kurt's place with all the parents and in-laws and any friends who can make it. Did Kurt's dad have fun too?"

"Yeah. I think _he_ said it was the best Super Bowl party he'd ever been at as well."

David's smile broke into a chuckle.

"That's what Kurt and I were going for. For, like, four years, we'd talk about getting our first house together and having a gameroom and big-screen TV in the basement and the most awesome Super Bowl party either of our dads ever attended. With us having gotten the house more-or-less where we wanted it, we thought we'd do it up with our parents and some other long-distance friends, make a weekend event out of it. And, of course, any local friends who wanted to attend the Sunday night party and Monday morning breakfast."

"So, your other friends from Ohio stayed the night?"

"Ah yeah," David nodded as he draped a small tablecloth over the top surface of a drink cart. "Gretchen and Johnno stayed in one of the other upstairs bedrooms, and Strando and Gina are sleeping on the roll-out couch in the gameroom. We offered them Kurt's and my bedroom, but Strando wouldn't hear of it. Next time, hopefully, we'll be totally finished working on that other upstairs bedroom and maybe get Finn out here for the weekend also."

Paul's expression confused. "What's with the drink cart at eight in the morning?"

David grinned as he rolled the cart toward the kitchen entryway. "It's doin' double-duty this weekend. It acted as a portable bar in the gameroom last night, but it's gonna hold the coffee urn in the dining room during breakfast this morning."

"You and Kurt have a _coffee urn_?"

David's smirk turned into an audible laugh. "Yeah, that's another thing Kurt and I always wanted: to entertain our friends and loved ones _awesomely_. If we're serving breakfast for eight people who stayed the night plus ourselves plus a few stragglers who may show up for breakfast."

Paul shook his head, a baffled smirk on his face as David rolled the drink cart into the kitchen and returned to the dining room a minute later with the coffee urn in place.

"Party last night and hosting a big breakfast this morning?" Paul conjectured, "This must be costing you two an arm and a leg."

"_Nah,"_ David dismissed as he bent toward a wall outlet, powering the electric urn. "I mean, _yeah_, we made a bunch of the food, _sure,_ but some of the other guests brought some of it too, and the breakfast food was mostly brought by other people. Gretchen and Johnno brought the bagels and muffins. There're also some pastries that Strando and Gina brought and some stuff that Garry and Jeff brought with them last night."

"Are Garry and Jeff stopping by for breakfast this morning too?"

"Yeah, they should be here. We're walking distance from their place, so, like, no excuse _not_ to show up, and who's going to turn down breakfast, _right?"_

Paul's brow creased as David moved a serving plate filled with danishes and other sweet breakfast pastries onto the table.

"Um, where is everybody going to sit if the table is filled with all of this food?"

"We were planning for people to grab the food they want and take it into the living room, buffet-style, have a casual, comfortable breakfast before everyone hits the road for home."

"Hmm," Paul nodded, understanding. "The food looks great."

"Hey, if you want to start eating now, it might be a good idea because once everyone gets up, it's gonna be like a feeding-frenzy at the table I think. Are you hungry."

"Yes," Paul answered without hesitation.

"Well, it'll be another half-hour before the coffee in the urn is ready, but we have a pot of coffee going in the kitchen for Kurt and me and any other early-risers."

"Okay, you talked me into it," Paul turned his attention to the table and reached for a plate and a bagel.

"Coffee, gentlemen?" Kurt spoke bright-but-soft as he appeared from the kitchen holding two mugs of coffee and handing one each to David and Paul.

"You two are unreal," Paul assessed, shaking his head and rolling his eyes as he placed his mug of coffee on the table to free his hands to slather his bagel with cream cheese.

"How do you _mean?"_ Kurt asked, feigning innocence with a silly grin and bouncy gesticulation.

"David offers me coffee and you basically appear out of _nowhere_ with coffee as if on-cue."

"Well, when David rolled the cart into the kitchen for the urn, he told me you were up and I just _assumed_ you needed coffee."

"And what is it that smells so _incredible_ coming out of the kitchen?" Paul added before taking a long slurp from his mug.

"Breakfast pies," David answered before taking a similar though less-noisy drink from his coffee.

"Breakfast pies?"

"Yeah, Garry and Jeff brought them last night," Kurt contributed. "They're heating in the oven right now and should be ready in about ten minutes. Garry's made them before. They're kinda like a deep-dish omelet."

"Like a quiche?"

"Yeah, something like a quiche, but without the pastry crust," David continued. "They brought a ham and cheese one, a veggie one, and one with a kick: it's got hot sausage, hot peppers and hot sauce in it."

"That sounds _incredible,"_ Paul voiced deep as his eyes widened to emphasize the statement.

"It is. You'll love it, Dad."

"Speaking of Garry and Jeff, will they be bringing their dogs with them?" Paul asked.

"Xander and Beacon?" Kurt replied. "Oh, _undoubtedly_. Garry and Jeff will be stopping by on their morning walk with the dogs, and the dogs literally get _excited_ when they get anywhere near their Uncle Dave's house."

David chuckled at Kurt's statement.

"They do seem to like David," Paul commented before taking a bite out of his bagel.

"You don't want to be standing between the dogs and David when Garry and Jeff arrive," Kurt furthered. "You _will_ get run over by a black-lab mix dog and the friendliest pit bull in the world."

"Morning, fellas!"

Paul, David, and Kurt directed their attention to the source of the greeting: at the far side of the living-room, Burt was entering, flanked on either side by Carole and Lorraine.

"I smelled breakfast, and I ran into these two lovely ladies on the way down the stairs," Burt spoke as he approached the gathering around the dining-room table.

Carole rolled her eyes and elbowed Burt playfully in the ribs as Kurt and David laughed and exchanged good-morning greetings with Burt, Carole, and Lorraine.

"Oh, _my,_ everything looks _delicious,"_ Lorraine commented as she looked at the food presentation on the table, eyes wide.

"You people should just help yourself," Kurt directed, pivoting and stepping toward the kitchen entryway. "I'll bring coffee out for you all; and save room for the breakfast pies: they're _fantastic."_

Burt, Carole, and Lorraine all reached for plates in unison and perused the food items on display before them as David and Paul stepped aside and continued their conversation.

"So, you and mom and Burt and Carole are good making the five-hour drive out here every few weeks?"

"We actually enjoy it," Paul spoke after swallowing a gulp of coffee. "Our monthly excursions out here are definitely something we all look forward to. Burt and I usually take turns driving, although Lorraine or Carole have taken over driving a couple of times to give me and Burt a break. Burt's hybrid SUV is really a pleasure to drive. He's got me talked into getting one when I trade in my current car."

David snickered. "So, then, Mom and Carole aren't _bored_ with the ride?"

"_No,"_ Paul almost laughed at the suggestion. "They bring their tablets along and read or shop online while or catch up on their projects."

"Projects?" David's curiosity piqued.

"Oh, they've been doing scrapbooking..."

"_Scrapbooking?"_ David asked, an expression of playful disbelief.

"Yes, they do that with their other lady friends. They also do work on their charity events. Oh and _drawing_. That's the new thing. Your friend Gretchen talked them into taking a drawing course that she's teaching at the community college."

"_Drawing? Really?_ How'd _that_ happen?" David's expression perplexed.

"Well, remember you invited some of your friends to the holiday gathering at our place between Christmas and New Year's?" Paul explained. "Well, Gretchen brought up the idea to them there, and they went for it."

"So, did everybody have fun at the party last night?" Kurt spoke aloud as he emerged from the kitchen holding a tray bearing mugs of coffee, a creamer, and a sugar bowl.

"Heck yeah," Burt's voice rose about the agreeable murmurs of assent coming from Carole and Lorraine, "Best Super Bowl party ever!"

Kurt's and David's eyes connected as they shot conspiratorial smiles to each other at Burt's assessment; Paul chuckled, having recently been clued into the fruition of a scheme four years in the planning process.

"Hey, I thought breakfast was starting at eight-thirty," Gretchen proclaimed, loud and sassy, as she stepped to the landing at the foot of the staircase, a dazed Johnno stumbling a few steps behind her.

"Morning, everyone. We heard voices and smelled food and thought we'd better get our butts down here."

The crowd in the vicinity exchanged brief morning hellos with Gretchen as Johnno approached the side of the table where David and Paul stood.

"Hey, Johnno," David spoke, taking in Johnno's face, barely awake. "Sleep okay?"

Johnno grunted unintelligible before he began. "Yeah, slept fine. Slept _hard."_

"Not a morning person?"

Johnno shook his head quickly: another attempt to shake himself awake. "Ah, mornings are fine usually. Fun party last night and maybe a little more to drink than I'm used to. Was nice to be able to do that knowing that I was gonna crash here and not hafta drive home or anything, but I think I'm a little hungover."

David held back a smirk. "Yeah, and Getchen seems all bright and energetic."

Johnno wordlessly smirked a crooked, sleepy smile and nodded.

"Hey, I can get you a sports drink," David offered.

"Oh, man, that'd be great."

"It would definitely be better for your hangover than the coffee," David expanded as he walked toward the kitchen, "And definitely _eat_ something."

Johnno turned to the table and reached for a bagel as Gretchen sprang to his side, handing him a plate and taking a raspberry danish for herself from the tray of items.

As David returned from the kitchen, a bottle of sports drink in his hand for Johnno, he held the door open for Kurt who was carrying a serving plate filled with sections of fresh fruit and various breakfast condiments.

After handing the beverage to Johnno and helping to clear a place on the table for the serving plate Kurt had carried from the kitchen, the doorbell sounded, drawing everyone's attention.

"That's Jeff and Garry," Kurt announced, still lowering the plate to the table.

"I'll get it," David offered as he turned and walked through the expansive living room and entry area to the foyer and opened the door.

"Good morning, guys!"

David's greeting nearly boomed through from the entryway, reverberating off of the walls of the living-room, causing Kurt and the house-guests to smirk and giggle as replies from Garry and Jeff were audible but unintelligible above the sound of two jumping and playfully-yapping dogs.

The jubilant dogs clung to David as he moved to one side, allowing Garry and Jeff to pass to the threshold of the living room and the breakfast gathering within.

As Garry and Jeff loosened their winter coats, Kurt sprung from the area around the table to meet them.

"Good morning!" Kurt hailed, friendly, as he reached to accept their wraps, "Let me hang up your jackets for you."

"Good morning, Kurt," Garry said, securing his scarf under the collar of his coat and handing the items to Kurt.

"Thank you, Kurt," Jeff spoke as he followed Kurt to the closet by the entryway, shaking his jacket loose from his arms in the process. "Honestly, though, we could have hung up our jackets ourselves."

"I was gonna get that," David remarked through an elated chuckle as one dog's front paws clung to his thigh and the other dog jumped onto him repeatedly, achieving a vertical height only a few inches shy of David's, and attempted to lap at David's face when such height was reached.

"I believe the dogs have taken you _captive_ for the _moment_, David," Kurt rolled his eyes and smirked, "You're currently incapacitated."

At the sound of Kurt's voice, the dogs turned their attentions away from David to give Kurt a similar greeting, making Kurt's chore of hanging Garry's and Jeff's coats appear less than graceful.

"Oh," Kurt dragged the word out playfully as he turned away from the closet and bent down to pat both of the excited dogs on their heads, "I'm happy to see you guys too!"

"Hey, Kurt," David spoke as he reached for a hooded sweatshirt hanging on the coat-rack by the door, "I'll run the dogs out back for a few minutes, hopefully work off some of their energy to keep them from bothering people when they're tryin' to eat."

"Good idea," Kurt agreed, "And while you're doing that, I'll get the box of doggie treats from the kitchen."

"C'mon guys!" The dogs followed David's lead through the living-room and dining-room into the kitchen to the back door.

The gathering in the main room exchanged morning pleasantries with Garry and Jeff as Kurt walked quickly to the kitchen to retrieve the box of dog biscuits from a lower pantry and the pull the breakfast pies from the oven, placing them on the stovetop.

Kurt returned from the kitchen to assure that the large trivet at the table's center was unoccupied and ready for the pies as he addressed Garry.

"Hey, how was your brisk morning walk over here?"

"Oh, it's cool but actually sunny and very mild outside." Garry answered. "The snow is still holding on the ground, but it's perfect sweatshirt weather."

"Could you hold the door for me in a second," Kurt asked. "I'll be coming out with the breakfast pies, and they're just out of the oven."

"Sure, no problem," Garry answered as he followed Kurt toward the kitchen.

Before they arrived at the threshold, however, they were momentarily blocked as the door to the basement opened and Chris and Gina emerged, stepping into the dining-room.

"Good morning, everyone," Gina spouted, cheerful, as Chris nodded and smiled at the others.

"Hi Gina, Chris," Kurt spoke quickly but politely, "Can you let Garry and me through to the kitchen?"

"Oh, sure, sorry, man," Chris stepped aside and shrunk toward the basement door.

Chris was scanning the assembly as Garry held open the kitchen door and Kurt walked through bearing a large tray which held the breakfast pies. Chris' attention was drawn to the aroma of the food.

"Man, those smell _incredible."_ he remarked as Kurt placed them on the center of the table and Gary helped to stabilize the tray.

"They _are_," Kurt confirmed to Chris with a wide-eyed grinning expression.

"Thank you!" Garry remarked to both Kurt and Chris. "I brought them last night, and I hope they live up to way they smell."

"Um, where's Karofsky?" Chris asked in an almost hushed tone.

"David is out in the backyard with Xander and Beacon, hopefully running down a little of their energy," Kurt responded.

Chris walked toward the window and looked through the parted curtains to see David laughing, holding two plastic balls, and being chased in a wide circle around the backyard of the house, eventually tossing the balls in different directions causing the dogs to run, divergent, after them.

"That looks like fun," Chris spoke just above a mumble before he added, louder, to Kurt, "Cool if I go join him out there?"

Kurt shrugged and jerked his head, making a crooked smile. "Of course. The food's not going to get cold any time soon. The outside door in the kitchen exits into the backyard. You might want to grab your coat first, though."

"Honestly," Garry interjected, "If he's going to be running around, the sweatshirt he's wearing should be just fine."

"Cool," Chris spoke as he darted through the doorway to the kitchen.

A minute later, happy shouts could be heard coming from the outside. Kurt, Garry, and Gina leaned toward the large window in the dining-room to see David and Chris, both tossing the colorful balls back-and-forth and the dogs retrieving them.

The three chucked at the sight as Kurt commented, "When we decided on this house, the fenced-in backyard wasn't really a concern, but it comes in handy when you and Jeff bring the dogs over to visit."

Garry nodded. "And who knew the dogs and Dave would become so inseparable?"

Within twenty minutes, David and Chris had returned to the inside of the house, and joined the others. Everyone eventually settled into the living-room area, occupying the large couch, the smaller love-seat, and a number of chairs, some of which had been borrowed from the dining-room for the occasion. Some guests were holding plates, consuming second helpings of the breakfast pies while others indulged themselves from the trays of pastries or muffins. Still others, having eaten to their satisfaction, drank coffee or orange juice as light conversations floated around the room. The dogs, markedly calmer after their outdoor activity, lounged on the large area rug witch occupied the center of the living-room floor, content with the dog-treats they had been given.

Gretchen and Johnno sat on the piano-bench facing away from the upright piano stationed to one side of the large fireplace which occupied the greater part of the wall on that side of the room. Gretchen threw her analytical gaze upward to the space on the opposite wall above the couch where Paul, Lorraine, Burt, and Carole were sitting, the space which occupied the double-portrait of David and Kurt which she'd given them as a wedding gift.

"Are you cool with where we hung your painting?" David asked Gretchen from his chair a few feet away; her head shook momentarily as the words snagged her attention.

"Yeah, you have it at the perfect height," Gretchen responded. "I mean, it's such a high wall, but the painting is big enough not to get lost on it. I was just kinda wondering why you didn't hang it on the opposite wall above the fireplace."

"We didn't want the canvas to be subject to harsh temperature-changes," Kurt interjected before David could answer. "I mean, if we use the fireplace, the wall will heat up. If it gets cold outside, the wall with the chimney behind it is going to get colder faster than the other walls. This way if it's hanging on an inside wall, we know the temperature will be more stable."

"Good thinking," Gretchen said as she and Johnno nodded, approving. "So, you guys use the fireplace?"

"Yeah," David began, "I mean, not _a lot_, but we _have_ used it."

"You had a fire going Friday night when we got out here," Burt spoke, joining the small conversation.

"Excuse me," Jeff spoke, politely entering the conversation from across the room where he and Garry sat on the love-seat. "Did I hear you talking about that painting? Are _you_ the artist who painted it?"

Gretchen smiled, brash and coquettish, at Jeff and Garry. "Yes, I'm the artist."

"Oh my _God_, I have always admired that painting," Jeff spoke, melodramatically inflected, as Garry smiled and nodded, obviously familiar with Jeff's admiration. "Do you take commissions? I'd _love_ to have you paint Garry and me."

Gretchen's expression became less smug and more accommodating as she answered, "Yes, I _absolutely_ take commissions."

"Well, then we will have to talk about it sometime soon," Jeff replied, "just get me your contact information before you leave, or I'm sure Dave could get us in touch with each other."

"Hey, I just noticed that we're all couples here," Garry addressed the room as a whole. "Any special plans for Valentine's Day next week?"

Smiles perked and glances shot around the room as the question seemed to spark interest universally among the guests.

"Gretchen and I were just going to have dinner with her parents," Johnno was the first to answer the question. "Keep it simple and nice."

"Carole and I and Paul and Lorraine are going out on an old-fashioned double-date," Burt spoke, loud, almost comically, as Paul, Lorraine, and Carole chuckled at his display. "We have reservations at a swanky restaurant back in Lima."

"_Dad,"_ Kurt retorted sarcastically, "Breadstix is _not_ a 'swanky' restaurant, and you don't need reservations to go there."

Chris, Gina, Johnno, and Gretchen laughed aloud at Kurt's comment; David was keeping his head low as he sat in his chair, appearing to try to avoid the conversation, but he couldn't hold back a snicker at Kurt's blunt statement. Even Paul and Carole laughed at Kurt's assessment.

"For your _information,_ Kurt," Burt returned, "We're going to _Burgundy's_, not Breadstix, and you _do _need to make reservations for Burgundy's on Valentine's Day."

Kurt grinned, silent, and nodded at the remark as Chris spoke next.

"Gina and I were just gonna order some take-out food and watch a romantic movie or something."

"Ooh, that's always nice too," Jeff commented. "What are you going to watch?"

"Open to suggestions," Chris spoke as he shook his head, "But nothing with a sad ending, okay?"

"Yeah, Chris and I watched _Casablanca_ together and the ending really made Chris sad," Gina revealed as some in the gathering made teasing noises at the admission.

"Hey, why do all of those classic romantic movies always have to have bummer endings anyway?" Chris defended.

"_D'aww,_ did you _cry?"_ Johnno heckled quietly winning a comical death-stare from Chris.

"No, he didn't _cry_." Gina snapped jokingly at Johnno.

"Have you guys seen _Am__élie_?" Jeff suggested at the young couple.

Chris and Gina shook their heads, not recognizing the title, "No, what's that?"

"It's a French film from about ten or fifteen years ago," Jeff explained. "It's really good, different, and sweet. Yeah, romantic."

Chris shrugged and faced Gina. "Maybe remember that title?"

"You gonna be okay reading subtitles?" Gina joked, "We never watched a foreign movie before."

Chris rolled his eyes and nodded. "I'm sure I'll be fine with it."

"So, since you brought it up, what do you and Jeff have planned for Valentine's Day?" Paul directed at Garry.

"We have reservations at Seven Geysers ski resort." Garry answered. "We're both taking the week off of work. We'll be leaving next Tuesday morning and not coming back until Sunday afternoon."

David rolled his eyes and pressed their lids shut, head still low and silent at the opposite side of the room. Kurt discreetly reached to him and squeezed his hand, supportive,

"Wow," Burt commented. "That's, what, five days? Pretty extravagant."

"Well, we usually plan something really special for Valentine's Day," Jeff added.

"_I'll_ say," Burt agreed.

"So, um, Karofsky, what are you and Kurt doing on Valentine's Day?" Chris asked, oblivious but sincere.

"_Yeah,"_ Gretchen seconded, wide-eyed and expectant, suddenly more animated. "It's your first Valentine's Day together as a married couple. Do you have something special planned?"

David shook his head and looked around the room, eyes trained at their uppermost position as he hung his head low.

"I, um, really _wanted_ to do something great for Valentine's Day, but, well, most of the other people at work wanted either Valentine's Day or the day _after_ Valentine's Day off so they could spend it with their husbands, wives, boyfriends, or girlfriends; and, well, _me,_ being the guy with the least _seniority,_ I kinda can't get out of working that day or the day after. There are a few people there that are single and a few other guys who are in the same situation with seniority as I am, and I'll be working those days with them."

The room fell silent, almost cold, for a moment. Gina let out a sympathetic sigh as David spoke again, almost, it seemed, to fill the unwelcome silence which had invaded the previously cheerful discourse.

"Well, that _is_ how I managed to get _today_ off so Kurt and I could have all of you over for a Super Bowl party and breakfast the next morning. Most of the guys wanted to take today off also, but _I_ was able to get today off as a trade for _not_ getting Valentine's Day off."

"Still kind of a bummer, man," Johnno spoke, low but clear.

Kurt reached his arm around David and addressed the others in the room directly.

"Listen, people. David and I don't _need_ polite society to tell us upon which designated day we're supposed to express how we feel for each other. We can do it any darned time we want to. And we have enough faith and confidence in our circle of friends that they'll understand that, and we certainly don't need the validation of others."

David, still facing toward the floor, smiled to himself as Kurt continued.

"Sure, it'd be great to do something on Valentine's Day, but David and I can have Valentine's Day any old time we want to. So, we'll probably just have a nice dinner together here in our home, which we _love_ by the way, maybe order something out, and enjoy each other's company for the evening. The weekend is only a few days away anyway."

Kurt's pointed words forced a persuasion of embarrassment, even guilt, to those who found something disappointing in David's situation.

"You guys _do_ have a great house," Chris spoke slowly, craning his head around the expansive living-room; Gina joined him almost, it seemed, to avoid Kurt's innocuously defensive stare.

"Yeah, _really_," Gretchen added in her signature playfully-sarcastic-sounding sincerity, though maybe not as loud as she might have normally spoken, "I can just imagine how romantic the place looks with the fireplace all ablaze and a candle-lit dinner set up in the dining-room."

The room fell uncomfortably silent again for a few moments. Some eyes jumped nervously from person-to-person while others stared ahead or into their nearly-empty coffee mugs. Garry seemed particularly joyless, having initiated the exchange which shifted the complexion of the room. The dogs, possibly sensing the still discord, stirred and let out quiet but anxious yaps. Beacon stood and slunk low toward David, nudging his head against David's shin and whining.

David's face broke a smile as he reached down and petted the dog's head, calming him.

"Dogs are getting restless," Jeff spoke, rising from his seat. "And Garry and I should be getting off to work. After all, we're not on vacation until next week."

Garry's gaze shifted nervously to his watch for a moment. "Yeah, we should get on with our day. Thanks for the great party last night and having us for breakfast today."

"Well, thank _you_ for _your_ contributions to the party last night and breakfast today," Kurt spoke brightly as the other guests stood, nodded, and voiced words of agreement.

"And thanks for bringing the dogs to visit," David added.

"C'mon, boys," Jeff called to Xander and Beacon causing the two dogs to jump, excited, to their feet and scurry toward the entryway.

While Jeff and Garry exchanged farewells with the other guests, David and Kurt both rose to see them to the door.

As David closed the front door, he and Kurt both turned to see that the other guests had remained standing, and some had begun collecting the mugs, dishes, and utensils from the others.

"Is breakfast over?" Kurt asked as his father approached both him and David.

"It's almost ten o'clock," Burt answered. "If we want to hit the road by one so we'll have daylight for the whole five-hour drive back to Ohio, we need to get started cleaning the place up now."

Kurt and David exchanged puzzled expressions before facing Burt again as the rooms buzzed with activity around them: Carole and Lorraine wrapping the leftovers and returning them to the kitchen, Johnno carrying the used plates and cups, Gretchen climbing the stairs to the bedrooms, and Chris retrieving a vacuum cleaner from the storage space beneath the staircase.

"You guys don't hafta clean the place up," David spoke, almost frantic, looking to Kurt then back at Burt. "You're our _guests_."

Burt smiled and shook his head, reaching his arms to encompass both David's and Kurt's shoulders, leading them to the center of the room.

"You guys had us over for a great party, put us all up for the night, and had breakfast for us the next day," Burt explained as he nudged David and Kurt to the large couch which he had occupied just minutes prior along side Carole and David's parents. "And you had some of us here for the whole weekend, since Friday night. I made the rounds yesterday when you two weren't looking and got everyone to agree that we'd leave the place spotless before we left, so you two are just going to sit yourselves down while we all clean the place up."

"Um, are you _sure?"_ David jerked his head around, almost dizzied by the near-military organization with which people moved into the various chores, as he and Kurt slowly lowered themselves to the edge of the couch's seat.

"We absolutely won't take no for an answer," Burt replied as he joined Paul in helping him to move the love-seat for Gina to access the hardwood beneath it with a dust-mop.

David smiled, perplexed, watching agog, as Kurt side-mouthed, clandestine, "There's no point in arguing with my dad's stubborn sense of fairness: just humor him."

David nodded resignation; he and Kurt watched the flurry of movement around them as they slid from the edge of the couch to lean themselves upon its back.

* * *

"The upstairs bedrooms are _spotless_," Kurt spoke while galloping down the staircase, seeing David standing in the middle of the living-room, "They even put fresh sheets on the beds."

It was mere minutes after Kurt's and David's guests had departed for home, traveling in two vehicles, Burt's SUV and Chris's sedan, one following the other back to Lima, Ohio.

"I just came up from the game-room," David uttered, shaking his head in a motion akin to near-disbelief. "You'd never know we had a party down there last night."

"It was a big party, too."

"_Huge_ party. You'd never know two people slept down there last night either."

There was a laundry basket filled with warm, clean towels on the floor in the center of the room.

"Don't tell me they did laundry too," Kurt dragged, sarcastic, upon seeing it.

"Yep," David broke a snicker. "Those are the towels and washcloths and stuff, and some of the sheets. The second load of sheets and pillowcases are in the dryer as we speak."

Kurt rolled his eyes and shook his head quickly but couldn't hold back a laugh of his own.

"So, what are we going to do _now?"_ Kurt asked, almost sassy. "I postponed the kids' piano lessons so we'd have time to clean the place up today after the party. Now that's been done for us, apparently."

"_I_ could take a nap," David admitted, grinning sheepishly, eyeing the expanse of the couch.

"Oh, wait," Kurt began, pointed-sounding with a smirk, "You just watched our parents and a few of our friends clean our entire house, and _you_ want to take a _nap?"_

"Sure," David replied as he flopped down onto the couch and positioned himself lengthwise. "I was up late last night hosting a Super Bowl party, as were you..."

"As was I."

"Yeah, and we were up early this morning getting breakfast ready..."

"And you ran around outside with the dogs for a while."

"Yep."

The two were silent for a moment, David grinning, resting his head on a throw-pillow which was plumped against the armrest of the couch and Kurt observing him with a widening grin.

"You mind if I join you on the couch?"

"Absolutely _not,"_ David answered, immediate with an exaggerated pronunciation as he shifted to one side of the couch, making space for Kurt between himself and the couch's back.

Kurt giggled as he climbed over David and lowered himself onto the couch in the space David had made for him, kissing David's cheek quickly before settling onto his side, resting his head on the flat of David's shoulder.

"Hey, get your face back over here," David protested, joking, "I didn't get to smooch you back."

Kurt smiled, toothy, and raised his head as David extended his neck; their lips met quickly halfway between before they both returned their heads to their recumbent positions.

"Are you gonna take a nap too?" David asked, an edge of sarcasm to his voice, "You're not usually an afternoon-nap kinda guy."

"No," Kurt was quick to answer, a low-pitched affectation to his tone. "I was just going to watch while you nap."

"Sounds pretty boring."

"Nope. Not at all. Your typical catnap lasts, what? Twenty minutes? Half-hour tops? If you were going to sleep for, like, two hours? That would be a waste of time, sure."

"Unless you fell asleep too."

"Nah. My body doesn't shift gears so easily. I'm fine with it, though. I like watching you sleep."

David's head nodded with a quiet chuckle as his hand found Kurt's and the two hands rested, fingers entwined, on David's chest.

"So," Kurt began, soft, after a quiet moment, "Did you have a good weekend?"

"I had an _awesome_ weekend," David answered, certainty in his tone. "I love it when our parents come out and stay for the weekend. I love it that everyone is friends, that there's none of that in-law weirdness that couples and families typically struggle with."

"Yes, I love all that too."

"It's great that they get along with our friends out here. I love it that Gretchen and Johnno and Strando and Gina made it out for the party yesterday and stayed for breakfast today. Hey, now that Finn's out of the army and back in Lima, we gotta get him out here for the weekend sometime."

Kurt snickered. "Definitely. He couldn't make it out this time because he had to open the garage this morning. I think Dad's moving toward semi-retirement and will be giving Finn a progressively greater amount of responsibility with the family business."

"Finn seems okay with that, right?"

"Yeah, with everything about his experience in the military that he _didn't_ like and the reasons why he didn't re-up, he says the structure definitely gave him a sense of focus. Dad's been impressed by how much more organized he is since he's come back to the garage, although, when I talked to Finn last week, he said that he really wished he could have come out for the weekend."

"Well, we'll get him out here eventually, and, until that happens, it'll be cool to hang with him next time we're out in Lima visiting the folks. And everybody seemed to have a great time at the party. By the way, that's definitely the biggest bunch of people we've entertained here so far."

"Oh yeah. Did you get a headcount?"

"I could figure it out right now," David paused for a moment as he thought.

"Let's see... There was my mom and dad, your dad and Carole, Strando, Gina, Johnno, and Gretchen: that makes eight. Jeff and Garry make ten. There were, what, six or seven other guys from the running club who showed up? That makes sixteen or seventeen. Those two couples you invited whose kids you give piano-lessons to."

"With their kids."

"Yeah, with their kids, that's six more, twenty-two or twenty-three people. Glad everyone was well-behaved around the kids."

"Don't have much to worry about from our friends and families. They're pretty innocuous, kid-friendly."

"True," David seconded. "How many people showed up from the Center for the Arts?"

"I think six or seven there too."

"Okay, there were thirty people here last night, give or take."

"Plus Xander and Beacon."

"Oh yeah," David chuckled. "Can't forget the wonder-dogs."

"They're _awesome_. They love their Uncle Dave."

"Yeah," David answered, a pleasant, almost dreamlike, detachment in his voice.

"I wonder who they have watching the dogs while they go away next week."

"Uh, I dunno," David's voice became low and marked with unease. "They'd have probably asked us if your schedule hadn't just changed, and, yeah, I was kind-of a downer when everyone started talking about their plans for Valentine's Day."

"I'm sure Garry didn't mean any harm when he brought the whole thing up."

"I know," David stuttered slightly as he was quick to reply. "I mean, him and Jeff like to be extravagant and show off sometimes, but I know he wouldn't have brought it up if he knew it was going to make me uncomfortable."

"That really bothers you, doesn't it? About not getting Valentine's Day off of work."

"Yeah, it kinda does," David sounded profoundly disappointed. "No, it _really_ does."

"David, there's no need for you to feel that way."

"Yeah, I know all that," David explained, voice raising in volume but retaining a sincere tone. "It's just that, for four years we weren't even in the same place for Valentine's Day. We were both going to school: I was here in Pittsburgh and you in New York. Now we're married, and I was hoping this year would correct that and get us on track."

"There was the year before that, though."

"Don't remind me."

"_Why?"_ Kurt spoke, emphatic.

"Because it was a fiasco. It was the clumsiest romantic overture ever."

"It was sweet, David."

"Dude, it ended in rejection. And then went places I'd rather not think about."

"But it was the beginning of _us,"_ Kurt reminded, sounding almost melodic in his delivery. "If that Valentine's Day five years ago didn't happen like it did, we probably wouldn't be here right now."

The two were silent as David exhaled loudly before finally speaking again.

"Yeah. I can't argue with that."

"And you wouldn't be anyplace else, _right?"_

"You know it."

"So, Valentine's Day rolls around next week, and you'll be working, probably a long day, and I'll be teaching at the Center for the Arts that day, and we'll both come home and order some take-out food because you know that every restaurant worth going to is going to be ridiculously busy on Valentine's Day. And we'll get a pizza or sandwiches or Chinese and have a nice comfortable dinner here in our big, wonderful house and just enjoy being with each other."

"Yeah," David's answer was brief, but his tone seemed to be lifting.

"And we can have a romantic weekend together and celebrate what we have that way."

David exhaled again before smiling, almost a smile of pleasant defeat, and speaking, "Yeah, sounds like that's how it will work."

"And it'll be _great."_

"Yeah, I know. It's _always_ great. I'm still gonna bring home a cake on Valentine's Day."

"I will not protest such an action," Kurt snickered bringing a genuine smile to David's face.

"Since you mentioned it," David began, voice more clinical than before, "I guess I don't have a grasp of your weekday schedule since you started teaching those classes this semester."

"It's easy," Kurt began, accommodating. "Mondays are the day I have the local kids over for piano lessons."

"Except today."

"Right. I postponed them because of last night's party. They'll be skipping a week and coming over next Monday instead. Then, as of two weeks ago, I'm teaching dance and performance classes at the Center for the Arts on Tuesdays. Wednesdays, and Thursdays from eleven o'clock to three o'clock. Fridays are the days I catch up on any of my clothing-line and accessory-line emails that I haven't answered during the week."

"Yeah, my schedule's easy to remember," David snickered.

"Up at six, on the road by seven, work from eight to four, home around five, approximately, Monday through Friday."

"See?" David laughed aloud, "You have it memorized!"

"Hey," Kurt spoke, abrupt, "Did you RSVP to your friend Howie's wedding invitation?"

"Yep," David affirmed, assured, "Emailed an answer at the beginning of last week saying that we'd make it, no problem."

"You're sure you can get the time off for a trip to Cambridge?"

"Yeah," David dismissed, cocky, with a cross between a smirk and a scowl. "I mean, it's way off in April, and I let them know last month. Plus, the wedding's on a Saturday. I only need to take that Friday off so we can fly up to Massachusetts. I figured we'd just be flying back Sunday, right?"

"Yeah," Kurt replied, thoughtful. "It always seems more complicated than it actually is when a trip is involved."

"It's gonna be a busy wedding year."

"Well, Howie and his fiancee in April, Gretchen and Johnno in October, right?"

"Yep, last Saturday in October."

"That reminds me, she asked me to send her some designs for bridesmaid dresses."

"What about the guys?" David asked, sounding surprised at their omission in the earlier comment.

"They've already picked the tux designs out of the ones I sent them. And they're all gonna be on me."

"I was gonna suggest that be our gift, actually, but I didn't want to come off as presumptuous."

"Nah, she gave us that amazing painting for our wedding gift. My clothing designs are _my_ art, so it's appropriate."

"Strando and Gina aren't far off either."

"Oh, _really?_" Kurt spoke in an exaggerated but nonetheless sincere manner. "Do _tell."_

David laughed quietly at Kurt's inflection.

"Yeah, well, he asked me for some advice on how he should go about proposing."

"_Yeah?"_ Kurt's excited tone continued, "What'd you tell him?"

"I'm so bad," David half-snorted a laugh. "I asked him why he was asking me, and he said because I'm married and I'd been through the proposal thing, then _I_ said that maybe it was _you_ who proposed to _me_, and he got all red in the face."

"Oh, geeze, you _are _awful," Kurt spoke through a giggle. "Be _nice_ to Chris. He's such a sweet guy."

'Aw, Strando knows I love him," David defended. "Well, _technically_, you and I _did_ propose to each other."

"After you surprised me with two rings, one for me and one for you."

"Yeah, well, then I got serious and I told him about how our proposals went, and he said it sounded really great. He says that he's been shopping for rings."

"Does he know what she likes, or is he going to wing it and surprise her?"

"Strando has surprisingly good taste."

"I'm not sure I believe you," Kurt voiced, skeptical.

"Whoa, _now_ who's rippin' on Strando?" David snickered again.

"I said he was sweet. I never said anything about him _not_ being a doofus."

"Well, I think he'll do alright, but, he really liked the engagement rings you and I have, so he did ask me to email him some pictures of rings that I thought looked nice. I busted on him a little for that too."

"Oh yeah? How so?"

"I told him it's always wise to get advice on things like jewelry and clothes from a gay dude."

"You did _not_."

"I _did!_"

"You are _incorrigible_, David Paul Karofsky."

"And you wouldn't have me any other way, Kurt Elizabeth Hummel."

"This is true."

Kurt giggled and pressed himself tighter against David as David reciprocated the laugh and playfully squeezed Kurt's hand in his.

"Strando wants me to be his best man," David spoke again.

"Aw, see, that's so sweet."

"Yeah, and he wants you as one of the groomsmen also."

"Now, that's just awesome," Kurt declared, if a quiet declaration.

"If Gina says yes, that is."

"Oh, come on," Kurt scolded, playful, louder. "Have you _seen_ those two together? They're _so_ in love. It's so cute that it's almost nauseating to watch."

David snorted another laugh. "Well, you _know_ nothing's a given until she's wearing a ring."

"True," Kurt conceded. "Hey, what about your friend who moved to Portland, that Sean guy? Any big day coming up for him?"

"Nah, he and John broke up. They're still friends though, and John has a new boyfriend who he's really serious about. I think Sean's into playing the field."

Kurt exhaled, a long hiss as he shook his head. "To think that total high-school nerd I met five years ago would morph into an absolute gay playboy just levels me. Well, if he's happy and having a good time, I'm happy for him."

"Me too," David laughed, reassuring. "What about any of _your_ old high school friends? Any of them getting hitched? Mercedes? Rachel? Sam?"

"Uh, _Mercedes_, since you _asked_, is like a straight-female version of Sean. She loves her boy-toys. Sam, as I recall, _is_ engaged, but living in Kentucky where he returned to his family once he graduated high school. I know nothing further about it until I or one of my friends gets a wedding invitation from him, and he's been especially difficult to keep in touch with."

"That happens sometimes."

"Yes it does."

"Rachel?"

"Uh," Kurt let out a labored sigh. "History repeats. Rachel, like her mom, is too married to her career to be married to anyone of flesh-and-blood. And honestly, I think that she and Finn will always be in love on some level. They're both fully aware that their life plans are not compatible, but they somehow _get_ each other."

"You don't think either Rachel _or_ Finn is ever going to get married?" David spoke, quiet alarm.

Kurt shook his head quickly as he answered.

"I wouldn't say that. I don't think any two cases of, um, for lack of a better term, _relationship-love_ are ever exactly the same. I feel fairly certain, more than ever, that Finn is going to make someone very happy someday. The same could be true for Rachel once she accomplishes world-domination via the Broadway stage."

David burst into a peal of laughter and Kurt smiled for a moment before continuing.

"Seriously, though, at a time in their lives, over the period of their high school years, they grew into adulthood together and fell in love at the same time. They can move on from that and understand that it had run its course, but it's crucially important to the people they both are."

"That's um," David spoke, hesitant, quiet, just above a whisper, "That's, um, kinda beautiful."

"And then there's you and me."

"What _about_ you and me?"

"Same thing only we _were_ able to stay together, and when we _got_ together it didn't run its course in a matter of months or years."

David sighed, almost sounding relieved, before he spoke again.

"And we were the first in our group of friends to get married."

"Well, as I recall, _you_ wouldn't have had it any other way, and _I_ absolutely have no complaints on the matter, then _or_ now."

On that statement, both men chuckled and shifted, Kurt lifting himself slightly and exchanging a brief kiss with David before reclining again, falling comfortably silent, almost as if listening intently for each other's breaths.

"Did you ever think about us getting a dog?" Kurt asked, a curious air to his voice, "I mean, you love Jeff and Garry's dogs."

"I'd love for us to have a dog."

"Then why don't we have one?"

David shrugged one shoulder in his lying posture.

"Um, I don't know. I guess, because, you know, dogs require attention. They're not like having a tank full of fish. And, well, you and I both work and we're gone most of the day."

"David," Kurt sounded nearly sarcastic. "_True_, you're gone for nine hours out of every weekday, but I'm home four days out of seven, and the days I work, I'm gone for five hours tops. And that's the teaching gig that just started two weeks ago. Before that, I was around almost every day all day unless I needed to run errands for a couple of hours. A dog would be _fine_ by itself for five hours."

"Yeah," David drew the word out. "I didn't really think much about it, I guess, but then, something else to consider, with your clothing designs and stuff, well, dogs shed, and that's not exactly a perfect environment to be doing that kind of work."

"So? We have a room or two where I do that work to which the dog doesn't have access; and besides, that's what lint-rollers and duct-tape are for, at least from a clothing designer's standpoint."

David snickered, quiet.

"I mean, we already _have_ the fenced-in backyard. That came with the house."

"Yeah, okay, you've convinced me." David spoke, bright. "We'll go out and get a dog sometime. Soon."

"What kind of dog do you think you'd want?"

"Eh, I'm not too particular," David answered. "I wouldn't want a tiny dog. Something medium-sized or even a big dog, a friendly, easy-going one. Oh, and I'd want it to come from an animal shelter or maybe a previous owner or a family who couldn't take care of it. I wouldn't want it to come from some pet-boutique or one of those places that gets them from puppy-mills. What about you? Any thoughts?"

"Not really, other than one that gets along well with others," Kurt began. "I'd hate for us to have a dog that didn't get along with Xander and Beacon."

David rolled his eyes and laughed almost nervously. "Geeze, _that'd_ be a nightmare when Garry and Jeff came to visit."

"And when we went to visit them," Kurt added, "Because we couldn't leave our dog at home alone while we're hanging out with our best friends and our canine nephews."

David hissed a stuttered laugh and Kurt followed, pulling himself closer into David.

"So, I thought you were going to take a nap?" Kurt reminded.

David shook his head and smirked.

"Not sure I'm really tired any longer, but, then again, it's still pretty early. I have all afternoon."

"Do you have any other things you want to do? Any need to feel productive?"

"I can't think of anything else I'd _rather_ be doing than what I'm doing right now."

"Mmm," Kurt rolled his head further onto David's shoulder, closer, more snug. "Suddenly I feel like I _could_ fall asleep here."

"Oh, sweet. Well, in _that_ case, I should _definitely_ have no trouble nodding off."


End file.
